Mentorship as infrastructure: Building the future cardiovascular CT workforce

Cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT) continues to expand, creating a parallel need to develop the clinicians, educators, investigators, and leaders who will advance the field. This opinion paper frames mentorship and sponsorship as essential professional infrastructure rather than episodic networking. Using the Fellow and Resident Leaders of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (FiRST) Committee and the SCCT Future Leaders Program (FLP) as complementary models, we describe five interconnected domains: connection, education, scholarship, visibility, and leadership. Activities include speed mentoring, educational resource development, mentored writing, scientific communication, and Society service. A retrospective descriptive evaluation of 73 FiRST alumni and 15 FLP alumni who completed participation by December 31, 2025 documented subsequent SCCT committee service in 43.8% and 80.0%, committee chair or vice-chair roles in 16.4% and 20.0%, and Board membership in 9.6% and 13.3%, respectively. Median publication counts were 48 (interquartile range [IQR], 18-131) for FiRST and 57 (IQR, 45-78.5) for FLP; median h-indices were 13 (IQR, 6-28) and 13 (IQR, 10.5-19). These findings describe recorded career achievements and cumulative scholarship, not effects attributable to program participation. We propose prospective evaluation of mentorship continuity, scholarly contributions, leadership, retention, and barriers to participation. Intentional investment in mentorship, sponsorship, and inclusive opportunities can help professional societies connect early engagement with sustained contribution and prepare the future CCT workforce.